Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Happy Earth Week! A perfect way to celebrate it is by attending or hosting an Earth Dinner.

Chefs Collaborative is a national nonprofit network of chefs and farmers that fosters a sustainable food system using the power of education, collaboration, and responsible buying decisions. This year, Chefs Collaborative and 65 restaurants are partnering with Organic Valley to bring Earth Dinners, a series to raise awareness about local, sustainable, and organic food to the dining public.

Organic Valley, an independent and farmer-owned company, is America's largest cooperative of organic farmers and one of my favorite organic brands. Organized in 1988, it represents 1,617 hard working farmers, and its founding mission is to save family farms through organic farming. Organic Valley produces and sells organic milk, soy, cheese, butter, spreads, creams, eggs, produce, and juice nationwide. The same farmers who produce for Organic Valley also produce a full range of organic meat under the Organic Prairie label.

The giveaway runs from today until Friday, April 22nd at 8:00pm EST. I'll announce the winner Friday evening.Comments closed - thanks for entering! You can enter up to two times (by leaving two separate comments). Choose one or two of the following:

**You MUST include your e-mail address in your comments in order to win.** It won't be used for anything except to contact the winner. To avoid spam bots, you can leave it like this: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.

I moderate comments so it may take a while for yours to show up.

This generous Earth Dinner Package is being provided by Organic Valley and will be shipped directly to the winner. Because Organic Valley products are only sold in the US, this giveaway is open to US readers only. I will select one winner via random draw and they will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected. Good luck!

Hi there I wanted to let you know that I Liked the Earth Day page. I live on a 100+ acre farm in southern West Virginia where we raise beef cattle, Katahdin Hair Sheep, and a large vegetable garden with my parents. We are operating a CSA for vegetables and recently got our distributors license for selling meat directly from our farm. wenjohnston2004@yahoo.com

I practice organic gardening by using beneficial plants to lure insects instead of spraying pesticides. We use organic lotions, soaps and shampoos and we buy local, organic grass-fed meat (elk, bison, and beef).

I "liked" Earth Dinner and downloaded the booklet. I grow my own herbs and hope to put in a vegetable garden again this year though Mother Nature isn't cooperating yet. I'm also a member of my local Co-op and try to buy a lot of stuff there.elsandradarkweav at aol.com

We go organic by using our own compost from our chickens and our kitchen scraps, growing and canning our own organic veggies, and freezing/jamming organically grown, local berries that we pick ourselves!

Three ways we go organic are 1)in all our dairy products (which is why this win would be great!), 2)we try to keep our meat local and if not "certified" organic at least know what the farm practices, and 3)we consider it a matter of "voting with your money" in everthing else that we try to buy organic. To us its more than just about the health of the earth, its about social justice to laborers as well.kaitpalmer@gmail.com

Loved the earth dinner ideas, but I always check all your listings. All the new babies have been wonderful. I was thinking it is a good thing Mother Nature has most of that work preprogrammed into the moms.Sincere thanks for all you do and post.The world is a better place because of your energies.Sincerely,munmom@aol.comAlida

We go organic by:1. Growing as much as we can ourselves2. Purchasing almost everything else from our local farmers' market3. Making sure the rest of the products we consume come from companies that practice earth-friendly production.

I have "liked" Earth Dinner on Facebook and was already a fan of yours. I enjoy your posts...

We should all compost for several reasons: Landfills aren't utilized, it is really easy, the end result of the compost is wonderful for organic gardening. And it teaches our children good gardening habits!

I have purchased heirloom seeds for the past 3 years and have experienced bumper crops. The heirloom seeds haven't been altered and are much more heathly. These can also be passed on to the next generations!

I always try to buy locally and support my neighbors and farmers when the opportunity comes along. Keep up your great blog!!

I liked Earth Dinner on FB as I am already your fan! We go organic by growing gorgeous organic heirloom food for ourselves and our friends and by shopping locally at Farmer's Markets with organic farmers. This year for the first time we bought organic pork from our wonderful neighbor farm, gorgeous meat! We also raise our own organic free range chickens and just sold our first dozen to our friend across the street who loves organic eggs.

Three ways we go organic1. We have a rental garden and grow our own produce without pesticides and using only organic fertilizers2. We buy organic milk3. We buy organic free-range eggs. In the summer we buy them at the local farmer's market.

What a wonderful blog you share with us! Love all the babies and their guard-doggies! We compost our kitchen waste. We garden organically. We support the local farmers and meat producers at our farmers markets. We buy organic dairy and local artisan cheeses as well as locally raised eggs. We grow our own shiitake mushrooms. We also support our chefs who are using as much locally raised food stuffs as possible. Once again thanks for the great blog! Kaye--kwntrbr@gmail.com

Three ways I go organic:a) Raise my own free-range chickens, pigs, and ducks. b) Forage for as many local wild edibles as possible (especially blueberries!)c) Buy local produce from the farmer's market in town when I can.

I am lucky here to have a local lamb farmer who raises his lambs au-natural (and is affordable too). I also have a year-round farmers' market that I get food from every week to supplement my own garden.

Living in a warm climate means that it is easier to go organic and close-by all year long. (hmattax at gmail dot com)

I liked Farmgirl Fare and Earth Dinner on facebook. Three ways I go organic are as follows: I recently bought Earth friendly laundry detergent. I work at a self serve frozen yogurt shop that promotes buying local. A percentage of the toppings are locally supplied. We eat at Trolley Stop Market, a restaurant/market, opened by local farmers that serves organic food.

For the last 3 years my husband and I have been removing decorative plants and shrubs from our small yard(1/3 acre lot) and replacing them with fruiting trees and berry shrubs. We've also built 3 gardens where we grow many vegetables and herbs organically. So we go organic by:1. Growing as many fruits and vegetables as space allows in our garden.2.Composting kitchen scraps and yard clippings.3. Buying organic milk/dairy products and hormone/antibiotic free meat at the grocery.I also think it's important to share with family and friends so that they can see what's possible in your backyard.

I liked you on facebook and Earth Dinner. I shop at our local farmers market as well as vend there with all-natural products. I grow my own veges and fruits organically and I am currently trying to purge plastic from my life. I have a long way to go. dlindquist55 at yahoo dot com

I buy organic meat for my boyfriend, fruit that I eat the skin of, and organic turkey on the holidays (Easter's a-comin'!). Rest of the time I schlepp it out with conventional stuff. Wish I could eat organic all the time! amianerd at yahoo dot com

We buy organic products whenever I can as a single mom - Stoneyfield Organic Yogurt for one and usually I can get organic carrots and onions for not too much more than the pesticide ones! My daughters and I have been using more natural and organic body products like soaps and shampoos and clean with natural cleaners, buy organic lip balms and lotions. Fortunately it is getting easier and less expensive to buy the products than it used to be - I hope somday they become mainstream! janschop at aol dot com

(1) We grow a lot of our own produce in the summer, organically of course.(2) We buy organic, grass-fed beef from a local farmer.(3) We avoid processed, packaged foods as much as possible. {njs1825 AT yahoo DOT com}

1) Our garden is mostly organic. I only say mostly because the seeds aren't necessarily, but the practices are. "Practices" meaning the back-breaking labor of hand pulling weeds in favor of blasting them with Round-up.

2) Our sheep are raised on organic pastures. We don't have the money or equipment to be spraying fertilizers or whatever on the grass anyway. But we DO have the equipment to spread soiled hay to fertilize all over the acre of grass in the paddock. And by "equipment" I mean a pitchfork, a rake, a wheelbarrow, and two very tired people.

3) We don't buy much produce, and it's not always organic when I do buy it, but carrots are organic when I buy them. Cubby likes to chew on a whole carrot (helps with teething), so organic seemed prudent in that case especially.

I compost everything and use the resulting mixture in my gardens, which are all organic as well. I make my own household cleaners rather than using the chemical-based ones. We recycle nearly everything - I make over outgrown garments, reuse jars, and just generally try to be as organic as possible as well as reduce our waste. Karin - khsds2 at yahoo dot com.

I tried to "like" Earth Dinner but saw no button on their page? I posted on their wall and will keep checking back to "like"! The book looks awesome. I just started liking you about 2 weeks ago. Your site is great and I love it.

I belong to a full-diet, year-round CSA in the cold hinterlands of upstate NY. Mark and Kristin Kimball are the bomb! My favorite way to go organic is to spend my late summer like a busy bee-- canning, freezing and putting up so I can enjoy treats like blueberries, pickles, green beans, broccoli and melon in LOCAL way ALL WINTER LONG!

I just "liked the Farmgirl Fare FB page". As a stay at home mom of 3 kids aged 3 and twin 18-month olds, it's hard financially to go organic all the time. However, we do our best by buying organic milk when we are out of milk WIC checks for the month, and shopping organically based on the "dirty dozen."email : aldrich_andrea@yahoo.com

I liked the "Earth Dinner" page, looking forward to reading more! I also like to go organic by really focusing on the things that we eat the most of, even if they're not in the "dirty dozen." If it's going in our bodies a lot, it's gotta be as natural as possible!email: aldrich_andrea@yahoo.com

A few ways I've gone organic: 1) I quit eating most meat, as it's hard to find local organic meat in my area. 2) I've moved to companion planting in my vegetable garden to eliminate the need for pesticides. 3) I've started doing the bulk of my shopping at farmers markets.My email: dreaming_of_autumn@hotmail.com

Great giveaway in celebration of Earth Day! Thanks. We go organic by growing our own veggies, having our own chickens for organic eggs and by choosing to by organic clothing for our little one that's on the way. I believe that even with clothing, buying organic cotton is key to help reducing pesticide waste in water sources and damaging soils. Love your blogs! laniamore@gmail.com

HI!! I "Liked" Earth Dinner on Facebook because I already "Like" you!We grow our own blueberries and peppers,melons etc. We have just started(Last year) growing..and selling Goji plants which we are very excited about!!!! I traveled to China last year and brought lots of dried berries back. WE are now also starting to raise our own StCroix sheep and should have our first Lambing season! end of July...so exciting!mariannecharters@aol.com

I liked Earth Dinner today, I'm going organic by buying local and also planting my own organic garden this year. I also just found out we are expecting and are already purchasing cloth diapers and of course breast fed is best. My email is annmichelle82@hotmail.com.

I liked this on facebook! and I like it everywhere else too! My favorite way to go organic this week is to color my Easter eggs with onion skins. I boiled the skins with the left over egg-boiling water and let it cool. Added some vinegar and soaked the eggs overnight. Lovely!genahohman AT gmail DOT com

3 ways I go organic: homegrowing as much produce as I can for as much of the year as possible in our climate, buying any meat from local farmers who use organic methods, starting most of my garden veg from seed to support the saving and continued availability of organic seed.

1) I liked Farmgirl Fare on facebook.2) I begin the organic cycle by growing food using compost made on our farm and by NOT putting any chemicals in the garden.3) email me at cherieguerrant(at)yahoo(dot)com

Since I had previously "liked" you on Facebook, my second entry is:3 ways we go organic (already mentioned growing our own:)1) I buy my eggs from a friend, who only feeds her chickens organic mash2) I make my family's yogurt from organic milk3) We use holistic remedies whenever possible, including raw local wildflower honey.email: americanvalkyrie at hotmail dot comThanks!

I liked Earth Dinner TWICE on FB - once from my personal account, and once from my page, Decadent Philistines Save the World. :)We have a CSA only about 10 miles away from our house here in the Phoenix area. We purchase all of our vegetables from the farm, so it's not only organic but local. And let's not forget DELICIOUS.My email address is allison DOT lee DOT powell AT gmail DOT com

This really is a fun contest! :)Three of the ways that I am trying to go organic are the following:1) We have been buying our eggs from a colleague of my husband's; we recycle the egg cartons, too (and collect them from friends to take to her). Not only are the eggs organic, but they are generally 4 days old at the most. We also usually get a duck egg or two - all for $2 a dozen!!!!!2) Next month, I'll be headed out to a local peach orchard and picking as many peaches, apricots, and plums as I can possibly fit into my truck and then canning them, drying them, making them into jam, etc. The farm is organic (although not certified so) and focuses on supporting the community.3) I'm purposely seeking out local restaurants that use local and sustainable farms (such as the peach farm I noted above) for their ingredients. What a huge difference in the quality of the meal!My email address is allison DOT lee DOT powell AT gmail DOT com

3 Ways I go Organic - 1 Try to grow some veggies and herbs in my yard every summer.2. Buying organic milk, yogurt, cereals and snacks - and certain produce.3. Shopping at our Local Farmers' Markets (found a couple new ones that are nearby through localharvest.org) and especially going to pick our own strawberries, apples and peaches at nearby farms (one is certified organic).

3 ways we go organic:1) grow as many of our own veggies as possible (even though we're just renting in a small duplex)2) using natural methods of pest control on that garden3) supporting local farmers at the farmer's market

I liked you on facebook I liked earth dinner on face bookAnd I go organic by:Giving yummy earth organic lollipops to my nieces and nephewsBuying organic starter plants and seeds (most things I start from seed but not tomatoes since I can't get them to grow) (ps I buy my seeds from seed savers exchange - lurve them)I feed my husband only certified organic grass fed beef (I'm vegan so I don't eat it but I changed him from a mcdonald's man to someone who eats stuff that is better)

We go organic by: growing our own garden without the use of pesticides or chemical fertilizers, we consistently buy the dirty dozen foods organic and other organic foods as our budget allows, We're getting our own chickens to provide us with eggs and we'll feed them food remains that are health for them and then use their poop in our garden as fertilizer!

I work with an organic farm here on the Central Coast of California. All last year I wrote the newsletters, did research on vegetables and fruit and learned a lot to apply to my own baby attempts at gardening. The farm offers a CSA program and I am just building the website (you can see it - still a work in progress: www.cvorganicfarm.com). I eat and cook and share as much organic food as possible!

Organic - we buy as much of our grocery purchases organic. We shop locally with farmers and farmers markets for meat and produce. Our eggs are from a farm in walking distance! And finally we have an organic veggie garden in the back. :)

Three more ways that we go organic:1. Back in the 90's we had an organic market garden. We don't sell anymore, but we inspired a few others to grow their own organic gardens.2. We start most of our own seedlings using organic methods.3. We buy organic coffee beans from Equal Exchange....the best!

I "like" Farmgirl Fare on Facebook!! My favorite way to go organic is growing my own vegetables and herbs in my garden and shopping at my local co op. I also make my own laundry detergent and cleaners LHouchin3 AT ivytech DOT edu Thank you love your blog especially the gardening posts!!

I "liked" Earth Dinner. Another favorite way I go organic is buying organic produce at my local farmers market on Fridays. It's a great way to get good food while staying local and I know it's fresh and affordable! LHouchin3 AT ivytech DOT edu

3. Leave a comment here on this post telling me:a) Three ways you go organic. Raise my own chickens for eggs, raise my own cattle for beef, forage in the forest for berries and mushrooms.b) Your e-mail address (so I can contact you if you win). lizage1 at yahoo dot com

2. "Like" Farmgirl Fare on Facebook (this option for new fans only), then leave a comment here on this post telling me:a) That you "liked" it. DONE!b) A favorite way you go organic. grow all my own veggies for year round consumptionc) Your e-mail address (so I can contact you if you win). lizage1 at yahoo dot com

I liked you on facebook. We get better at local and organic every year (its hard sometimes). I've found a source of local and naturally grown chickens. We buy meat from a locally owned butcher who gets his meat from a naturally grown farmer. I am very active and buy from our farmers market and other local food organizations. I can and freeze. I'm getting better at growing more food. I compost. Is that enough?

I liked Earth Dinner on Facebook, since I have already followed your amazing posts for a while now. I go organic by GROWING MY OWN veggies and fruit and supplementing from our awesome farmers' market. Meat and dairy are always organic, free-range, and local if I can find it. It's a dream of mine to live your life, sheep and all.

Like Earth Dinner on FB - Kitty Mayne 1. We go organic by growing our own berries and veggies and canning/freezing/drying them for winter. 2. We also have half share in a CSA. 3. We buy chicken and beef from local organic farmers. maynekitty[at]live[dot]com

I do what I can...where I can. I frequent the closest Farmers' Market. 'Have started gardening myself in the last two years. I buy organic when/where possible. I also think practically when choosing flowers for my yard...going with native plants as much as possible to conserve water. And I plant specifically for birds, too!

My favorite place is the organic blueberry ranch! (I went picking SIX times last summer!) Gotta love that freezer stash!

I've been slowly going more and more organic like this:1) I've started growing my own food at the side of my house (hard because no one spot in my yard is "full sun" - but doable if you do a little research about what will grow in part-shade conditions)2) I participate in a local (WI) summer CSA3) I compost & use that where I can

My favorite way to go organic is to simply look for MORE ways to be able to slowly incorporate more pieces fo organic in to my life (slowly, so my pocketbook doesn't freak out) ... most recently, this meant joining a local *meat* CSA. Every other week for three months I picked up assorted cured meats made locally and from locally grown, organic meat.

Three ways I go organic:1) I grow my own vegetables in the summer organically2) I compost my kitchen waste for the garden3) I buy organic products at our local co-oop and shop in the farmers market in the summer.

I've gone organic by:1) ripping out my front lawn to grow more of my own fruits and vegetables, no pesticides allowed!2) Started a second garden next to the vegetable garden that's solely for attracting beneficial insects (bee's, ladybugs, butterflies, etc)3)Joined a local organic CSA to supplement items that I currently dont grow in my own yard.

Organic is the only way to go!1. Every little sunny patch in our yard is growing our own organic food, herbs and fruits.2. We fill in our groceries with a local CSA year-round. They rock, and they can give us a few more items that I can't grow myself.3. We regularly shop the farmer's markets here (and there are a ton of them) to pick up bigger bunches of organic stuff too - like boxes of berries and mounds of cucumbers to can and preserve for the rest of the year.

I already "like" you on Facebook, so I added Earth Dinner as well to my likes.I shop only the certified organic vendors at our three local farmer's markets. I try to buy only the organic products at Trader Joe's (one of my jobs is working there)My yard and garden is organic, I have lots of herbs and several fruit trees and a few container veggies as well.

1. We grow our own!! (square foot gardening)2. We compost.3. We support local growers by patronizing the downtown farmer's market at Pepper Place in Bham Alabama.4. We support local growers/producers by buying their locally produced food and art items at AlabamaGoods.

We always buy organic dairy,eggs, bread, and as much poultry as possible.I grow some of our own veggies and love to compost. We use earth friendly cleaners. and this year I am adding organic clothing and bedding to our list. Thanks for supporting the Earth!

I "liked" Farmgirl Fare on Facebook.I get my fresh produce from the farmer's market, so I know I'm not buying out-of-season fruit from Australia (not that there's anything wrong with Australia). mlasswellATgmailDOTcom

Love all your stuff...we are hunting for property looking to go rural and you are an inspiration! We go organic by 1) 100% organically growing (and sharing) much of our own veggies, fruit, and herbs and buying the bulk of what we don't grow from our local organic veggie farm, and our local organic beef and raw milk producers, 2) foraging - much of it the weeds in our own yard! and 3) producing homemade cleaning and personal products from our harvest. I am at quozzle at hotmail dot com.

I so enjoy your posts! Liked Earth Dinner on Facebook as LaFarge is not far from me and we love organic.1. We participate in a CSA and I work with an organic farmer at the one and only DANE COUNTY FARMERS' MARKET!2. We grow vegetables and small fruits in our backyard organically.3. We buy local.buchhma AT live dot comHappy Easter! Hope the lambs have a great time gamboling!

I Like what Ohio Farm Girl said! And I agree! Pick me!!Three ways that we go organic:1) I have a pea patch in our backyard complete with Hoop house that grows a good deal of our veggies every year. I get my seeds from organic, non-GMO producers (like Baker Creek - they are rad.)2) I make our own organic compost using Vermicomposting and pile compost methods and use this in our garden. (No chemicals for us!)3) When I shop, I buy organic ingredients and make all my daughter's baby food from scratch with these ingredients. The more we buy, the more they will offer!!l.w.nickell AT gmail DOT come

#1 - Growing as much of my own food as possible on my shady city lot and rental garden.#2- Purchasing organic foods as much as possible, especially organic milk to make yogurt and bulk grains and seeds from the co-op.#3 - I know this is not really organic, but I buy most of my clothes in the Thrift stores, which reduces the amount of cotton that is needed, most of which is heavily saturated with pesticides. I must say that this does not feel like a hardship to me, as the quality of clothing at the Thrift shops is so obscenely good and I save so much money by doing this, that I can't really claim any credit for this.

Thank you for the site, especially for the bran muffin recipes and variations.